The Adventures of Ninja Slashboom and Buckethead

"Jacob, come inside and eat lunch."

"But Mommy, I'm a ninja. Ninjas don't eat lunch when they are busy fighting bad guys." Jacob threw some kicks and punches in the direction of invisible teeth-gnashing, muscle-bulging giants, no doubt in a humble effort to save the universe.

"Ninja Jacob needs to eat lunch so he can get some energy to fight bad guys." Mommy sang aloud, her frustration-meter steadily increasing and in direct proportion to the shrillness of her voice.

Rude. "I'm not Ninja Jacob. I'm.....I'm.....I'm Ninja Slash. No, Ninja Slashboom." A karate kick nearly missed Mommy's face as the fearless ninja whizzed by.

A small, unsteady frame in blue plaid shorts suddenly entered stage right. He grinned comically, revealing a large gap between his two front baby teeth. As his lips parted further, mountainous teeth formations jutted haphazardly from his pink gums. He toddled towards a large bucket, lifted it up with much concentration, and plunked the bucket right onto his head.

"This is my side kick." Ninja Slashboom proudly raised his arms to the sky and announced, "Presenting Buckethead! The scariest sidekick on the planet!" As if on cue, Buckethead suddenly lost balance and, as the earth fell out from beneath him, landed loudly on his diapered butt. THUNK.

Buckethood pulled the bucket off and flashed his mountain-range smile once again as he quickly shook his head back and forth.

Ninja Slashboom was unphased by the comical show of his sidekick and continued to swat at the air before him, leveling giants with quick steady blows. "Take THAT! And THAT! Hai-ya! Can't catch me!"

Ninja Slashboom continued his valiant quest to rid the world of evil until Mommy, with no respect for the precarious fate of humankind, lost all patience and inflicted upon him the tortures of nourishment. The battle for the world would have to wait for another day.

***

Sunday morning arrived with the promise of scorching temperatures. Ninja Slashboom quickly arranged for transportation to the nearby wave pool, where there was rumored to be a bad guy invasion for later in the day. After suffering through some pesky errands and having to listen to Buckethead chat incessantly about "goo goo's" and "dah's" and other ridiculous baby topics, Ninja Slashboom's chauffer finally pulled up to the entrance of the wave pool.

Ninja Slashboom and Buckethead quickly assumed their aliases. No one would ever suspect these two innocent boys of being deadly ninja warriors. Or the unassuming stroller to be a bullet-proof flying air-machine.

As they entered the park, Ninja Slashboom was excited to discover that the bad guys had yet to arrive. Perfect! he would have the element of surprise! He was free to stake out the terrain, plant some traps, and traipse carelessly through the water fountains. But first: armor. Ninja Slashboom donned his super swim trunks and shed all other unnecessary clothing items- wouldn't want to be recognized, of course! He then slipped into his magical floating life vest and he was ready for battle.

"Let's go Buckethead!" Ninja Slashboom cheered as he charged forward, not realizing that if he HAD been in the presence of bad guys, his cover would have been blown faster than candles on a birthday cake. Buckethead was not quite ready.

Ninja patrolled the wave pool and the water fountains, on the lookout for any suspicious activity which might suggest that the peril of the planet was near. So far, no sign of trouble. Ninja realized this was for the best when he glanced backwards and saw that Buckethead had already abandoned his post...for a snack.

Ninja dove into the water, a welcome reprieve from the 85 degree weather. He came up for air only to discover that waves weren't the only things charging at him. Out of nowhere appeared a tsunami of heavily-armed foe. Ninja grabbed his sword from an invisible arsenal hanging before him and charged.

"Take that! And that! I got ya!" He jeered. Foe after foe fell away defeated. As Ninja continued to charge he wondered where his backup was? "Buckethead?! Where are you?" He spared only a mili-second to glance back at his vicious sidekick.

"Great. All alone" he thought as he pressed onward. But he was not discouraged. Four years of ninja training had prepared him for this very battle. Scratch that. Four and a HALF years. Just when he thought there were too many bad guys for one mighty ninja to handle, Mommy appeared yielding a surprise weapon. In her hands were two glistening popsicles. Without warning, the bad guys vanished into thin air.

Ninja cheered and pumped his fists skyward as he ceremoniously accepted one Sonic the Hedgehog popsicle. Around him the kids continued to play, completely oblivious to the legendary battle that had just taken place before their eyes. No respect.

Peace once again settled over the Pacific Northwest as Ninja and Buckethead enthusiastically enjoyed their rewards. As the popsicles slowly melted, so did all trace of the fearless ninjas.

Jacob took Ryan's hand and together they marched back to the car...where Ryan, grinning boldly, thwacked Jacob in the face with a blanket. Jacob erupted into a geyser of tears which then turned into a 30 minute long tantrum. On the way home, Mommy chauffer stopped to buy a bottle of wine.

Adoption is Awesome :)

{I posted this at The Inspired Apple and forgot to post here! Oops!}

So, we have news!!!!!!!!! 

And, because many of you have written me personally with your well-wishes and have been with us in prayer throughout this journey, I am beyond thrilled to share...

On May 13th, we received a life-changing phone call - an expectant mother was making an adoption plan for her baby and had chosen us as potential parents! On Monday, we confirmed that it is a BOY! We are so excited for the amazing opportunity to be parents again...and, of course, Becks is thrilled to be a Big Bro. Please pray for the expectant mother, the baby, and our family during this exciting time <3

Truth:

Keep praying, friends!!!!!

XXOO

High Five for Friday

 Linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday

1// High Five - for little boys!! My cousin Ashley (that is married to Tyler's bff) sent a text yesterday that they found out they're having a boy. We are so happy that they are having another baby and pray it's healthy.... but truth be told I was keeping my fingers crossed for a little boy. Ashley had asked a long time ago if I would keep our little cowboy bedding just in case they ever had a boy and it will mean so much to be able to pass it down to them.

2// High Five - for my new turquoise flip-flops! If you know me, I almost always have on a little turquoise, be it one of my dozen turquoise necklaces, my stud earrings and now even my shoes! These were a great find on Zuily. #TurquoiseTheNewBlack

3// High Five - for our first session of swimming lessons coming to an end. Don't get me wrong, Keeler has really enjoyed taking lessons but he goes from 11:25 - 12:05 so I take him over my lunch hour - I miss my hour. We have one week off and then it all starts again.

4// High Five - we're moving onto wedding no.2 of the summer. I was asked to design the invitations for Heather's upcoming showers. This one might be one of my favorite designs so far. #TheCowgirlInMe? :)

5// High Five - for my summer drink sole-mate, Cayman Jack™ Margaritas. Thanks for introducing us Leslie!! They come in cute little glass bottles, really pack a refreshing punch and are made with 100% pure Agave nectar. Warning: calorie count is somewhat high @ 240 per serving. But all I really need is one or two... okay maybe three, ha! And see what's on the TV behind my drink? It's Big Brother 15 - High Five for #BB15. Summer has officially started folks.

Choosing Joy

Joy  [joi]  noun
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure

     I will never forget the moment that Josh and I chose joy.  I was having a rough day and found myself in bed crying and dwelling on the negative.  Josh came in to comfort me and ended up saying something that would change our lives.  He said, "We can either spend Savannah's life in this room crying, or we can go out and help her live it."  It was in that moment we decided to surround ourselves with happiness rather than sorrow. Through this journey Savannah has brought so much sunshine into our world, so we felt it was only fitting to choose Joy for her middle name.  

     

     Week 21 was the week that we began celebrating in earnest.  We started off the week with a total blessing: God placed Kevin, Lindsey, and baby Sophia in our lives.  Sophia has been diagnosed with the same condition as our Savannah, and her parents Kevin and Lindsey are currently carrying to term like Josh and I.  We spent an afternoon at Ron Jon's sharing stories, drinking virgin piña coladas, and getting to know one another.  It is very comforting to know that we are not the only ones going through this, yet it breaks our hearts to know that we share the same pain.  God has given us the blessing of great friendship with Kevin and Lindsey, and an eternal friendship for our girls, Sophia and Savannah.  Please keep Kevin, Lindsey, and precious Sophia in your prayers.  If you would like to follow their journey you can find their blog here.

     We continued celebrating Savannah as we knocked off a few "firsts" from our list.  Savannah's first BBQ, bedtime story, and baseball game. 

This was my favorite book as a little girl!

Manatees won 10-9 after going in to extra innings!

     One of our favorite memories this week was taking our girl to the beach.  We made our camp and set out to make Savannah the most awesome sandcastle ever!  Daddy went to work building, and sculpting the perfect castle, while Savannah and I took our first walk on the beach looking for seashells.  I found myself getting emotional on and off, something Lindsey and I call "waves".  I will always treasure that walk with Savannah gathering seashells, and letting the water rush over my feet.  Josh and I decorated the sandcastle with the shells we had gathered, and wrote our princess' name in seaweed. 

Daddy drew something special just as we left.

     The next week was a very special week for me, Savannah and I were both 22!  We had the most fun celebrating.  We played Taylor Swift's song, "22" and Savannah got to listen as we held the speaker to my belly.  She was very active, and I am still convinced she was dancing. 

     This is also the week that we opened up about Savannah's condition.  We held an ice cream social to let our close friends know, and let them help us celebrate Savannah.  Josh tried to feed Savannah ice cream, and I made sure she had extra whipped cream and sprinkles.   

     One more family tradition that we decided to teach Savannah was the famous Hurtley Family Night, Movie Night, Pizza Night!  It has been a tradition in Josh's house ever since he can remember, and we loved being able to share it with Savannah.  We made homemade pizza, watched 101 Dalmatians, and stayed up past bedtime. 

     The best part about this week was having our ultrasound appointment and seeing our sweet girl wave to us.  She opened and closed her hand, and then waved it side to side.  It was a moment that Josh and I will never forget.  Savannah is also growing right on track, and she is swallowing everyday.  

     We are still so amazed, and feel very blessed to have our little Savannah Joy in our life.  We are continuing to pray for a miracle if that is God's plan. We are casting our fears on the Lord, and finding pure joy in the journey.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4

     

Ring Bearer - Take 3!

photos c/o Jason Ryman Photography

 This past weekend was Keeler's third time to hold the job of ring bearer.  In February of 2010 he was in our friend Toby and Anne's wedding. In August 2010 he was in my cousin Ashley's wedding - who was marrying one of Tyler's best friends.  

I might be partial but I think he makes a very handsome ring bearer.  This time around was definitely less stressful since he is older and knows how to behave.  I can't say it enough, he did amazing!  He was so patient while waiting for the wedding to start, during the ceremony and through pictures.  We were all so proud.

Birttney & Tolan made it back from their honeymoon.  She was so excited for me to see the photographer, Jason Ryman's pictures.  They ended up with some fabulous photos. I thought I better post for memory sake and I know some grandparents that will appreciate seeing them too :)   

{The Ceremony}

{Formals}

{The Reception}

photos c/o Jason Ryman Photography

Thanks again Brittney and Tolan for sharing your special day and for asking Keeler to be a part.
Welcome to the family Brittney!